Session: 03-08-01: Computational Modeling and Simulation for Advanced Manufacturing

Paper Number: 145960

145960 - A Numerical Study on Adaptive Printing Velocity Control in Frontal Polymerization-Assisted Layer-by-Layer Additive Manufacturing 

A revolutionary curing technique known as frontal polymerization (FP) has emerged for rapid and energy efficient thermoset polymer and polymer composite manufacturing. FP harnesses a self-propagating exothermic reaction front to swiftly polymerize thermoset monomer resins, showcasing notable energy efficiency and expedited production of fully cured thermosets. This advancement has spurred the exploration of various engineering applications, particularly in the realm of 3D printing. While existing research underscores successful fabrication endeavors employing FP-based 3D printing, a primary hurdle lies in optimizing printing process parameters, which currently necessitate iterative experimentation. This bottleneck impedes the broader adoption and scalability of FP-based 3D printing for practical applications.

In our prior work, we developed a multiphysics modeling framework for FP-based 3D printing processes within the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) [1]. This framework integrates coupled thermos-chemical processes with element activation for ink deposition. Through experimental validation, we revealed the intricate interplay between printing velocity, printing length, front behavior, temperature distribution, and polymerization processes. One of the key factor for successful printing is to ensure the polymerization front to follow the extrusions nozzle closely. Nevertheless, maintaining a delicate balance between the front and nozzle proves challenging during constant velocity printing, potentially leading to filament deformation.

In this presentation, we introduce a closed-loop control simulation system aimed at adaptively adjusting printing velocity during the printing process to ensure that the nozzle-to-front distance remains within predefined tolerances, thereby mitigating ink deformation before curing. The simulation commences with an initial printing velocity and runs for a designated time interval, Δt, akin to the sensing interval in experimental setups. Subsequently, the simulation pauses, and results are analyzed to compute the nozzle-to-front distance, dictating the maximum allowable printing velocity for the next time interval. This iterative process continues until printing concludes. Leveraging this numerical closed-loop control system, we scrutinize the effects of variable printing velocity on printing processes and resultant part quality in a layer-by-layer printing paradigm. We focus on understanding the adaptive frontal velocity control on the printing process and the printed part qualities, providing guidance for future experimental development.

Presenting Author: Zhuoting Chen University of Wyoming

Presenting Author Biography: Multiphysics modeling of advanced manufacturing

Authors:

Zhuoting Chen University of Wyoming
Xiang Zhang University of Wyoming